For Release: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 DETROIT—Statement by Ivy Bailey, interim president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, on bribery and kickback allegations against several Detroit public school principals: “This situation saddens me to my core and is not what our students, educators and community expect from their school leaders. If the allegations are true, there is no justification for accepting bribes or kickbacks, or for any illegal activity. At the core of this apparent scheme is something that’s very real—horribly resourced public schools. The Detroit Federation of Teachers, parents and others are working diligently with state lawmakers to ensure our schools survive, grow and thrive with the right funding, resources, tools and support they need. The unfortunate events that have been alleged happened during the years our schools were under the state-controlled emergency manager, reinforcing the urgent need for local control of our schools to ensure close oversight and accountability. “These allegations are shocking, but they should not distract us from the work that needs to be done in Lansing and Detroit to make our public schools the best public schools in the world. And that can be accomplished with the right funding, programs and services, and with real grit and determination.” # # # #
